Being nice to Indians doesn't fetch IPL contract: VVS Laxman
What's the story
Former Indian batsman VVS Laxman hit back at Michael Clarke for his comments on the IPL contract.
In a recent statement, Clarke targeted the Australian players for being too scared to sledge Virat Kohli and his team.
He reiterated that the players were being protective about the IPL contract.
However, Laxman rebuked the claims, revealing the actual process of selecting players.
Here is more.
Quote
Players are picked up on the basis of caliber
"Any franchise will look at the player's caliber, which gives them desired results by winning matches. These are the players who get IPL contracts. So just being nice to someone will not earn you a spot in the IPL," Laxman said.
Michael Clarke
'Australia sucked up to Kohli', Clarke had stated earlier
According to Clarke, Australia held back and did not get the better of Indians during the 2018-19 Test series.
"I feel that Australian cricket, and probably every other team over a little period, went the opposite and actually sucked up to India. They were too scared to sledge Kohli or the other Indian players because they had to play with them," Clarke said.
Tim Paine
Paine rejected Clarke's claims
However, the Australian captain Tim Paine replied players were thinking about an IPL contract while competing in the series.
He further added that Australia did not want to trigger Virat Kohli as aggression gets the best out of him.
"I didn't notice players being that nice to Virat or not trying to get him out. I'm not sure who was going easy," Paine said.
VVS Laxman
Friendship with Indian players does not ensure a contract
VVS Laxman, who is presently associated with Sunrisers Hyderabad as a mentor, described how a player is picked up on the auction table.
"I'm on the auction table and we select players, those international players that have played exceptionally well for their country and can add value to the franchise. Friendship with any Indian player doesn't ensure entry into the IPL," he concluded.